There are many ways to judge the performance of public decision-makers, but one of them is certainly the red or black ink on the bottom line of the budget.
By that standard, Minnesota government and governing has done very well the past two years.
This past week Minnesota MMB Commissioner Jim Schowalter announced year-to-date revenues that are now $148 million above February's forecast amount. Responsible budgeting by the Legislature and governor are continuing to show positive results.
While this is certainly good news for Minnesota, it pales in comparison to the more significant improvement over the past two years. The direction and the revenue trends are both very good.
It was only two years ago that Minnesota faced a deficit of more than $6 billion. Today, we have more than a $1 billion surplus with that surplus growing with each month's revenue collections.
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This is not only a validation of the governing and the difficult decisions of the Republican Senate and House majorities over the past two years, but most importantly, it provides the opportunity for lawmakers to address needs and investments in the future.
From government accountability to agency efficiencies to cost-saving initiatives, we have initiated and passed into law measures that have produced results for Minnesota's budget. Certainly there is more work to do, and we can't let up on our ideas for reform.
We must continue to push for efficiency and accountability, but the answer is in the numbers, and the numbers (surplus and recent revenue collections) look good for our great state.
